New industry data shows a widening gap between how B2B buyers want to evaluate software and how most companies still gate access to product demos
A growing body of research shows most B2B buyers now prefer to explore a product on their own before ever speaking with a salesperson, yet the majority of vendors still require booking a call just to see how the product works.
According to Gartner’s most recent sales survey, 67% of B2B buyers say they prefer a rep-free buying experience: evaluating solutions without direct interaction from a salesperson, at least for the early stages of research. But supply hasn’t caught up to that demand: separate research from Forrester found only 44% of B2B buyers currently have access to a self-directed demo before making contact with a vendor.
The gap sits squarely between what buyers say they want and what most product and sales teams are set up to offer them.
“Buyers have made it clear they want to evaluate on their own terms before talking to anyone,” said Aileen Wu, Founder of Inkly. “Most companies are still asking them to book a meeting just to find out if the product is worth their time.”
A more nuanced picture emerges from the data
The research doesn’t suggest buyers want to eliminate sales conversations altogether. Gartner’s findings show that while buyers favor self-service for general research and early learning, they still turn to sellers when a decision requires judgment, for example, determining whether a product genuinely fits their company’s specific needs.
That distinction matters for how companies design their demo experience. Static product tours and prerecorded walkthroughs can address the early, self-serve stage of evaluation, but they can’t answer the specific, situational questions that come up as buyers get further into the evaluation. These are questions that today typically require a live rep.
Where AI demo agents fit in
This is the gap Inkly was built to close. Rather than a scripted click-through demo, Inkly deploys an AI-guided demo agent that lets prospects explore a product, ask questions in natural language, and get answers specific to their use case, without needing a rep on the call to do it.
“Self-serve doesn’t have to mean generic,” said Aileen Wu, Founder of Inkly. “The goal isn’t to remove the human from the process; it’s to let buyers get further on their own before a human needs to step in.”
Inkly’s platform captures what buyers ask, click, and get stuck on during these self-guided sessions, giving sales teams the context to make the eventual human conversation, when it happens, sharper and faster.
About Inkly
Inkly is the AI demo agent for go-to-market teams. It lets prospects explore, ask questions, and discover product value on their own, 24/7, before ever booking a call, while giving sales and marketing teams visibility into what buyers actually care about. Learn more at inklyai.dev.
Media ContactCompany Name: InklyContact Person: Aileen WuEmail: Send EmailAddress:82 S Gould St City: Sheridan, 82801State: WYCountry: United StatesWebsite: https://www.inklyai.dev/
